Quick-make and quick-break switch



II. K. MASON.

QUICK MAKE AND QUICK BREAK SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, I920.

- Patented JlllIe 20, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT on-ace.

RALPH. K. MASON, OF BANTAM, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR. OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN E, LANCASTER, OF LITCHFIELD, CONNECTICUT.

QUICK-MAKE AND QUICK-BREAK SWITCH.

Application filed June 2,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH MASON, a citize'nof the United States, residing at Bantam, in the county of Litchfield and Stateof Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Quick-Make and Quick-Break Switches; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of'the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements m quick make and quick break switches and I have shown such invention in connection with an enclosed safetyT switch of the type shown in my pending S. application Serial No. 309,280 filed July 8, 1919, although the improved features of construction are usable in connection with other forms of switches.

One object of the invention 1s to provlde a switch in which movement of the operating handle to a predetermined position, Wlll place an actuating spring under tension and in which further movement of said handle will positively start the switch on its movement, at the same time tripping the spring, causing the latter to rapid y complete the movement of the switch irrespectively of any motion of the handle. With the exception of starting the switch, its movement is thus taken entirely out of the hands of the operator and effected totally by spring action and it is thus insured that the switch cannot be slowly opened or closed or left in a partly open or closed position. 7 In ury by arcing and improper engagement of the switch contacts is thus prevented. This action 1s eSpe-' cially advantageous in enclosed switches where the contacts are covered and hence the operatorcannot see whether they are fully en aged or disengaged.

11 carrying out the above end, I employ a switch throwing arm, and a springoperated actuator for said arm, and a urth'er object is to mount these parts on the same axis with the operating handle, making adequate provision whereby the handle may pick up and move the actuator to tension its operating spring and similar prov1sion for causing said actuator to 10k up the switch throwing arm and move t e same to start the switch, when maximum tension of the aforesaid spring is attained, whereupon said spring, actuator and arm come into play to Patented June 20, 1922.

1920. Serial No. 386,127.

%igure 1 is a side elevation of an enclosed safety switch embodying my improvements, parts being broken away and in section to illustrate the internal structure.

F 1g. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken substantially on the plane of line 33 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are detail transverse sectlons on the planes indicated by'the lines 4-4 55 and 66 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing sev eral of the switch operating parts in juxtaposition.

In the drawings above briefly described, the numeral 1 designates a suitably constructed casing having an opening 2 formed in its front wall 3 and provided with a hinged cover 4 for normal disposition over said opening. Suitably mounted in the casing 1 are fixed contacts 5 to which the current conducting wires 6 are attached, while movable contacts 7 coact with the contacts 5 and are carried b a movable base 8. This base also carriesuse clips 9 which are connectedwith the contacts 7 and provision is made for projecting the fuses 10 throu h the opening 2 when the switch is open, sai base 8 then closing said opening as seen in Fig. 3, so that access to live parts is prevented while re-fusing. The base 8 is mounted on parallel links 11 and one of these links carries a flat lug or the like 12 operating in a key-hole slot 13 of a cover locking link 14, the arrangement being such as to cause the lug 12 to hold the link against outward the lug. 12 releases the link 14 and permits opening of the door, this being then entirely safe in view of the double break nature of the switch.

The features of construction so far briefly described are disclosed in the application previously referred to" and they form no part of the present invention except in connection with the novel features described below.

Two of the links 11 are carried rigidly by a rock shaft 15 extending across the casing 1 and constitute arms for throwing the base 8 and associated parts to either circuit making or breaking position. In the present showing, one of the arms 11 is provided with a flat sided opening 16 (Figs. 2, 6 and 7) which receives the similarly shaped end 17 of the shaft 15 and is held on said shaft end by means of a tubular shaft extension 18 which is clamped against the outer side of said arm by means of a screw 19 passing through said extension and threaded into I the shaft 15. Mounted loosely on the shaft extension 18 and positioned on the exterior 'of thecasing 1, is a suitable handle 20,

while similarly mounted on said extension, but within the casing, is an actuating arm 21 for the adjacent switch throwingarm 11. A spring device 22 is connected with, the outer end of the arm 21, and said arm is operated by the handle 20, through the instrumentality of suitable pick-up means,

I so that said spring device is tensioned by movement of said handle to a predetermined extent. When thisspring device is at maximum tension, other pick-up means come into play to move the switch throwing arm 11 bymeans of the actuating arm 21, thereby momentarily formin a positive connection between the handle 20 and the movable member 8 of the switch, so that the inertia of this'member and its mounting means may be overcome by hand. As soon as this occurs however, and the switch member starts on its opening or closing movement, the

spring device 22 acts on the actuator 21 to rapidly move the switch throwing arm 11 and complete the opening or closing of the switch, without effecting movement of the handle 20". By this means, the closing or openingof the switch effected totally by spr' action after initial starting by hand, and t us the switch cannot be'either closed or opened slowly, with the result that no arcing may occur and no injury will result from leaving the inter-engaging switch parts in bracket '25, while its other end is pivot at 26 to-the outer end of the actuating arm 21. By this arrangement, the spring will.

operate on either side of a dead center line and consequently will act to equal advantage for opening or closing the switch.

The above mentioned pick-up means for operating the actuating arm 21 from the handle 20, preferably comprises a pin 27 carried by the handle and extending through a slot 28 in the casing (Fig. 4) and operable between spaced shoulders 29 on the inner end of the actuating arm. Similarly, the pick-up means for connecting the'actuator 21 with the adjacent switch throwing arm 11, comprises a pin 30 carried by said actuator and operable in a'slot 31 in said switch throwing arm. All of this construction is shown most clearly in Fig. 7, although the other views illustrate the manner of operation more effectively than said figure. I 7

With the parts set as shown in Fig. 1, the. switch being then closed, the pin 27 stands at the bottom of the slot 28 as seen in Fig. 4 but is in contact with one of the shoulders 29 asseen in Fig. 5, with the result that said pin forms a positiveconnection between the handle and actuator, for swinging the latter toward a vertical position and thus 'tensioning the spring device 22. By the time maximum tensioning of this spring device takes place, 'the pin 30 has moved from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the other end of the slot 31, thereby picking up the switch throwing arm 11 and connecting it withthe handle 20 so that the movable switch member may be started. As this starting occurs, the spring 22"is moved beyrid a medial line with the result that it immediately comes into play to force the actuator 21 and the arm 11 rapidly in the direction in which the latter has been started. This quickly completes the opening of the switch and during the action of the spring 22 the connection 27-29 idles, so that the handle is not moved. In closing the switch, the operation of course reverses. I am aware that quick make and break switches have heretofore been devised in which a spring comes into play after initial starting of a movable switch member, to

scope of the invention as claimed. For instance, although a quick make and quick break switch is disclosed, the improved features of construction are also applicable either to a quick make switch or a quick break switch.

I claim:

1. Inan enclosed quick make and quickidly carrying at least one of said parallel links, a handle loose on said shaft and positioned on the exterior of the casing, an arm loose on said shaft between the casing wall and said one link, spring means in the casing acting on said arm to force the same rapidly in either direction when moved to dead center by hand, pick-up means between.

said handle and said arm, the casing having an opening through which said pick-up means extends, and additional pick-up means between said arm and said one link.

2. In an enclosed quick make and quick break safety switch, a housing, a rock shaft extending across said housing and beyond one side wall thereof, a movable switch memher in said casing, an arm rigidly mounted on said rock shaft and pivoted at its outer end to said switch member, said arm having a transverse slot, an actuating arm loosely pivoted on said shaft between said first named arm and the wall of the casing, a lateral pin on said actuating arm received loosely in said slot, a coiled compression spring having one end fixedly mounted in said casing, the other end of said spring bearing against the outer end of said actuating arm and .being active on said arm at either side of a dead center. line, a handlepivoted on the aforesaid rock shaft and located on the exterior of the casing, and a pin extending inwardly from said handle, said casing and said actuating arm having slots loosely receiving said pin.

3. In a switch, a movable switch member, a pivoted throwing arm therefor, an actuator for said throwing arm, a handle, pickup means for moving said actuator fromsaid handle and permitting the former to move more rapidly than the latter, addi-' tional pick up means'for moving said pivfrom said handle, a

oted throwing arm from said actuator, and

, spring means connected at one end to said actuator and mounted stationarily at its other end, said spring being active when moved to a dead center line.

4. In a switch, a movable switch member, a rock shaft having'a rigid switch throwing arm connected at its outer end to said switch member, a handle mounted loosely on said shaft, an actuating arm loosely mounted on said shaft between said -switch throwing arm and said handle, pickup means for moving said actuating arm from said handle and permitting the former to move more rapidly than the latter, additional pick-up meansfor moving said switch throwing arm from said actuating arm, and a spring device connected at oneend to said actuating arm and having its other end stationarilymounted, said spring device bein active on said arm when moved to a dea center line. I

' 5. In a switch, a movable switch member, a rock shaft having a flat sided end, a switch throwing arm'having a flat sided opening receiving said shaft end, said arm being connected with said switch member, a tubular shaft extension bearing a ainst said arm, a fastener passing throug said extension forholding said extension and arm in place, a handle mounted pivotally on said extension, an actuating arm mounted ivotally on said extension between said han 1e and said switch throwing arm, said actuating arm and handlebeing relatively movable, pickup means for movin said actuating arm dditional pick-up means for moving said switch throwing arm from said actuating arm, and a spring device tensioned by movement-of said actuating arm to the point at which the latter picksup said switch throwing arm, and thereafter aqtive on said actuating arm for ra idly moving the latter and the switch throwing arm without moving said handle. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

RALPH K. MASON. 

